Alley clarifies

Mr Roderic Alley, speaker at the Omega Teach-in at VUW has written to Salient clarifying some inaccurate reporting of his speech.

"The United States has a Polaris force of 656 missiles capable of being launched from some 70 submarines," he said.

"The Americans plan to convert a substantial number of submarines in order to enable them to launch multiple war head Poseidon missiles."

"Each of these will carry between three and twelve warheads, providing an oftensive force capable of saturating any full Soviet antimissile system should one ever be built."

"Understandably, the Russians are concerned that highly accurate multiple warheads might give the United States a capability for a preemptive attack.

"The Marshall Island tests for Poseidon missiles against anti-ballistic missile components, planned for 1970 by the Americans, can hardly reassure the Russians.

"As it was pointed out at the Teach-in, the role of any Omega Navigation Station in New Zealand, facilitating these tests, and hence exacerbating an already costly and dangerous arms race, is to be deplored."